dear body: a letter in the wake of mental illness

Dear body, dear mind,

I have spent so long hurting you, working to make you into something that you could never be. I have bled and cried and screamed in the hope that someone would acknowledge you, would love you. And, in my attempt to punish the world for what it has put me through, I have punished you despite all that you have helped me to achieve. I wish, I wish I could apologise. I wish you could know that you mean more to me than I have treated you to be. I wish I could thank you for the things you have brought me through: the places my legs have walked me to; the people my arms have carried, have hugged; the words my mouth has spoken; the things my hands have made; the scenes my eyes have looked at. I hope that one day we can move on and, in the mean time, all I can say is that I’m sorry.

tags: mental illness, mental health, self harm, eating disorders, eating disorder recovery, self harm recovery, help, eat it to beat it, body positivity, body neutrality